XXXIII. (1) THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL... — The word which is rendered _journey_ appears to denote primarily _the breaking up_ of the encampments, which lasted for very different periods, and which, during the protracted wanderings in the wilderness, may have been of the avera... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD. — It does not clearly appear whether these words should be understood of the record of the journeys of the Israelites as being made by Moses in obedience to a Divine command, or whether they should be understood of the journeys themselves as being taken in obedience t... [ Continue Reading ]
(3-5) AND THEY DEPARTED... — In these verses the departure from Rameses, at which place the Israelites seem to have been gathered together previously to the exodus, is related as in Exodus 12:37. The places of encampment from Succoth to the wilderness of Sinai (Numbers 33:6) agree with those which a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY REMOVED FROM KADESH... — See Numbers 20:22, and Notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING ARAD... — See Numbers 21:1, and Note.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PITCHED IN OBOTH... — See Numbers 21:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM IIM. — Instead of the seven intermediate stations between Ijim, or Iie-abarim, and the plains of Moab, which are mentioned in Numbers 21:11, we find only three mentioned in this chapter: viz., Dibon of Gad, Almon-diblathaim, and Mount Abarim before Nebo, none of which agree in name with the sta... [ Continue Reading ]
BETH-JESIMOTH EVEN UNTO ABEL-SHITTIM... — See Numbers 22:1, and Note, and Numbers 25:1, where Abel-shittim is mentioned as Shittim.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DESTROY ALL THEIR PICTURES. — The word which is here rendered “pictures” denotes “imagery,” or “engraved figures.” In Leviticus 26:1 the material named is stone — “a stone of imagery,” i.e., a stone which has been formed into an idol. (Comp. Exodus 34:13, where, however, a different word is used... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL DIVIDE THE LAND BY LOT... — See Numbers 26:53, and Note.... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER IT SHALL COME TO PASS... — Better, _And it shall come to pass that, as I have thought_ (or, _determined_)_ to do unto them, so will I do unto you._ It must be borne in mind that the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan were never wholly exterminated, and the pernicious influence which they exer... [ Continue Reading ]